Episode 313: Don’t sweat the likes (and Kev’s most useful hashtag)

We start this one in the only sensible place, really: naturist wedding photography. It’s a ridiculous idea, obviously, but it does what these chats often do - it opens the door to something more useful.

Unofficially, this episode becomes a bit of a New Year spring clean for anyone trying to bring in work through their website and social media. It’s sparked by listener Alex Mealin, who’s relaunching his photography business after a six-year break, and it leads us straight into the stuff that actually works.

We talk about my plans for the year, why you’ve got to stop trying to play the algorithm, and why carousels can be a smart move if you’re posting on social. But we also get into the more annoying side of it all - like counts, follower numbers, and the weird pressure people feel to “perform” online.

From there, it’s trust, authority, and building an online presence that makes people feel confident in you. And yes, I bang the drum for blogging and fresh website content again, because it still matters in 2026. Probably more than most people want to admit.

Neale also announces his new podcast for 2026, Reflections, which is about this creative life we all end up living. He shares a short preview at the end of today’s show, including a few thoughts about yours truly.

And because we can’t help ourselves, we finish off by questioning whether shooting lots of genres is a focus or just scattergun… and why we run twilight events at the exact time of year when it’s basically pitch black.

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In this episode

We start with a completely daft thought about naturist wedding photography. Which, honestly, is probably best left there. But it quickly turns into something genuinely useful: a bit of a New Year reset for photographers who want more control over how they get work, without living and dying by likes.

We talk about why chasing the algorithm is a mugs’ game, what carousels are actually good for, and why fresh content on your website still matters if you want people to trust you.

Key takeaways

• Stop trying to “win” the algorithm. It changes whenever it feels like it, and it’s not built with your business in mind.

• Likes and follower counts are not the same thing as trust. They can be nice, but they don’t always translate into enquiries.

• Carousels can work well because they slow people down and help you tell a story. Not because they’re some magic growth hack.

• Your website is still your home base. Social is rented space. Treat it like it could vanish tomorrow.

• Blogging and fresh content build authority over time. It’s not particularly exciting, but it’s reliable.

• Focus matters. Shooting a bit of everything can be great creatively, but it can confuse people if your message is all over the place.

Try this this week

1. Pick one thing you want to be known for: Not ten things. One. You can still shoot other stuff, but choose a clear “front door” for your marketing.

2. Write one genuinely helpful post on your website: Keep it simple. Answer a real question a client or photographer would type into Google. 400 to 800 words is plenty.

3. Make one social post that points back to that page: If you’re doing a carousel, let it do the job it’s good at: tell a short story, teach something, or show a mini case study. Then send people to the blog post.

4. Ignore the likes for 48 hours: Properly ignore them. Look at saves, replies, messages, clicks. Or even better, look at whether anyone actually gets in touch.

FAQ

• Do likes matter for getting photography clients?

  Not in the way people think. Likes can be a sign that something resonated, but they’re a very noisy metric. What matters more is whether people remember you, trust you, and can easily find you again when they need a photographer.

• Are carousels better than single images?

  Sometimes. Carousels tend to work well when you’re telling a story, teaching something, or showing progression. A single image can still be brilliant, but a carousel gives you more chances to hold attention and give context.

• Is blogging still worth it in 2026?

  Yes, if you do it with intent. A good blog post is searchable, linkable, and sits on your own site, not inside someone else’s platform. Fresh, helpful content also reinforces trust, because it shows you’re active, engaged, and serious about what you do.